orbade it; and to give one round reason for all, _mature
sanus_, I have laid up my Rosinante in his stall, before his unfitness
for the road shall expose him faltering to the world. But why did not I
answer you in time? Because, in truth, I am encouraging myself to grow
lazy, and I was sure you would ascribe the delay to any thing sooner
than a want of affection or respect to you, for this was not among the
possible causes. In truth, if any thing could ever induce me to sleep
another night out of my own house, it would have been your friendly
invitation and my solicitude for the subject of it, the education of our
youth. I do most anxiously wish to see the highest degrees of education
given to the higher degrees of genius, and to all degrees of it, so much
as may enable them to read and understand what is going on in the world,
and to keep their part of it going on right: for nothing can keep it
right but their own vigilant and distrustful superintendence. I do not
believe with the Rochefoucaults and Montaignes, that fourteen out of
fifteen men are rogues: I believe a great abatement from that proportion
may be made in favor of general honesty. But I have always found that
rogues would be uppermost, and I do not know that the proportion is,
too strong for the higher orders, and for those who, rising above the
swinish multitude, always contrive to nestle themselves into the places
of power and profit. These rogues set out with stealing the peoples'
good opinion, and then steal from them the right of withdrawing it,
by contriving laws and associations against the power of the people
themselves. Our part of the country is in considerable fermentation on
what they suspect to be a recent roguery of this kind. They say that
while all hands were below deck mending sails, splicing ropes, and every
one at his own business, and the captain in his cabin attending to his
log-book and chart, a rogue of a pilot has run them into an enemy's
port. But metaphor apart, there is much dissatisfaction with Mr. Jay
and his treaty. For my part, I consider myself now but as a passenger,
leaving the world and its government to those who are likely to live
longer in it. That you may be among the longest of these, is my sincere
prayer. After begging you to be the bearer of my compliments and
apologies to Mr. Ogilvie, I bid you an affectionate farewell, always
wishing to hear from you.

LETTER CLXXXVI.--TO JAMES MADISON

THOMAS JEFFERSON